1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to digital image decoding apparatuses and methods, and providing media, and more particularly, to a digital image decoding apparatus and method, and a providing medium which allow a data stream having a plurality of formats to be input.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 8 shows three formats of data streams in the Moving Picture Experts Group 2 (MPEG2). An elementary stream (video data or audio data) is divided into several packetized elementary stream (PES) packets. A PES packet is further divided into several transport stream (TS) packets. A TS packet is formed of a header and a payload. The header includes a packet identifier (PID) serving as the identification information of the TS packet. With the use of a PID, data in a transport stream is identified.
In a conventional digital image decoding apparatus, only the elementary stream can be input-processed among the above three formats.
An elementary stream (ES) can be input to the conventional digital image decoding apparatus, but a transport stream (TS) or a packetized elementary stream (PES) cannot be input as is.
In addition, the conventional digital image decoding apparatus cannot apply input processing to a plurality of ESs.
Furthermore, the conventional digital image decoding apparatus cannot output decoded image data in a format corresponding to a display unit.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to enable a plurality of ESs and a data stream having a plurality of formats to be input-processed.
The foregoing object is achieved in one aspect of the present invention through the provision of a digital image decoding apparatus including: structure means for restructuring an elementary stream from a data stream having a plurality of formats; first storage means for temporarily storing the elementary stream restructured by the structure means; decoding means for reading and decoding the elementary stream stored in the first storage means as required; second storage means for storing the image data decoded by the decoding means, according to programs; and output selecting means for selecting and outputting the image data stored in the second storage means, according to a display form.
The foregoing object is achieved in another aspect of the present invention through the provision of a digital image decoding method including: a structure step for restructuring an elementary stream from a data stream having a plurality of formats; a first storage step for temporarily storing the elementary stream restructured in the structure step; a decoding step for reading and decoding the elementary stream stored in the first storage step as required; a second storage step for storing the image data decoded in the decoding step, according to programs; and an output selecting step for selecting and outputting the image data stored in the second storage step, according to a display form.
The foregoing object is achieved in yet another aspect of the present invention through the provision of a providing medium for providing a program which has a digital image decoding apparatus execute processing, the processing including: a structure step for restructuring an elementary stream from a data stream having a plurality of formats; a first storage step for temporarily storing the elementary stream restructured in the structure step; a decoding step for reading and decoding the elementary stream stored in the first storage step as required; a second storage step for storing the image data decoded in the decoding step, according to programs; and an output selecting step for selecting and outputting the image data stored in the second storage step, according to a display form.
In a digital image decoding apparatus according to the present invention, structure means restructures an elementary stream from a data stream having a plurality of formats; first storage means temporarily stores the elementary stream restructured by the structure means; decoding means reads and decodes the elementary stream stored in the first storage means as required; second storage means stores the image data decoded by the decoding means, according to programs; and output selecting means selects and outputs the image data stored in the second storage means, according to a display form.
In a digital image decoding method and a providing medium according to the present invention, an elementary stream is restructured from a data stream having a plurality of formats in a structure step; the elementary stream restructured in the structure step is temporarily stored in a first storage step; the elementary stream stored in the first storage step is read and decoded as required in a decoding step; the image data decoded in the decoding step is stored according to programs in a second storage step; and the image data stored in the second storage step is selected and output according to a display form in an output selecting step.
According to the present invention, since a data stream having a plurality of formats can be processed, various connection methods can be available for connecting to a demultiplexer apparatus.